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deliberateLIFE engages today's globally-conscious citizen in building a better tomorrow. We believe choices matter – so we vet ideas, products and organizations to make it easier for today's busy professionals to live well and do good.

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deliberateLIFE shares an office with two other start-up companies (Clef Inc. and ShopPad). The office is filled with bright blue walls, sit-stand desks, and hardworking people. Inspired by the work ethic and kindness of those nearby, we decided to interview Darrell Jones, Clef's Head of Business Development, about what deliberate living means to him.

Over lunch, I asked Darrell about his weekend, which quickly revealed one of the ways he is able to live so deliberately. He explained how he utilized the weekend to write out something similar to a life audit (explained below).

In order to become the type of person you want to be, Darrell believes that, “You need to have in your mind a very clear vision of who you want to be and then find role models who you can emulate along those lines of your vision.”

Affiliating yourself with people who you admire and can learn from is encouraging – it gives you courage. Seeking out mentors, hearing their stories, and having the permission to pick their brains for how they've become who they are is a helpful way of stepping into the life you desire.

“Often when people talk about wanting to live deliberately, they set very vague goals. They don’t have any actionable items or a process through which they can gauge their own progression,” expressed Darrell.

As discovered through a study done on the 1979 Harvard MBA program, there is a clear correlation between specific goal writing and success. The study surveyed a group of Harvard students and found that 3% specifically recorded their goals, 13% wrote down broad goals, and 84% did neither. Ten years later, they found that the 3% who wrote down their specific goals were making about 10 times as much as the other two groups.

Whether or not your goal is to earn more money, specific goal writing is helpful in keeping yourself accountable to the deliberate choices you are hoping to make.

Each morning at deliberateLIFE, we write down each task we need to accomplish and approximately how long each will take. Our founder, Fay Johnson, also has a nice framed list of her specific goals for 2015 by her desk. Each item has a box that can be checked off.

With this knowledge in mind, here’s what Darrell wrote down on a big sheet of poster paper during his weekend. It's a smaller version of a life audit:

In the Middle: He wrote down who he wants to be.

At the Top: An overarching statement that reflects an important part of who he wants to be.

To the Left: 4 characteristics that he wants to embody and emulate.

To the Right: 3 of his most important values (his priorities).

At the Bottom: A call to action—a general statement of something he’d like to do on a daily basis.

Darrell said that this activity was helpful and attempts a similar process of recalibration once or twice each month.

Taking the time to articulate the type of person you want to be is empowering. It influences your daily decisions and creates coherency in your lifestyle. This intentionality can come in the form of a full-blown life audit, a similar and smaller version (as exemplified by Darrell), or by simply writing a thoughtful list of specific goals – personal or professional.

Whichever route you choose, we've found hearing stories like Darrell’s helpful in expanding our views of what deliberate living can look like. We hope it helps you too!